Tales of the Unexpected, eh?
You see, I got a surprise email offer - well, they're all surprises - from ShowFilmFirst this afternoon. A free ticket to a preview of Testament of Youth this evening. The name rang a bell - I've seen the trailer, and thought it was good. IMDB also rates it highly. We had leaving drinks for a colleague, but I figured I could go for one and then head to the cinema.
And that's what I did. The showing was in the Empire, Leicester Square. Ages since I've been there - but then, it seems ages since I've been to any film! I took the Tube to Leicester Square - I notice that a lot of the stations have no advertising at the moment: possibly because it's the end of the year. I completely forgot that Exit #2 is handier than Exit #1 for Leicester Square itself, because you don't have to cross the road. Never mind, I was soon there - the cinema is on your right as you head from the station towards the square. I see there's a funfair these days..
I headed in to the cinema and climbed the steps to the main lobby. I saw a table to my left, with people sitting at it, and lists of names. I correctly deduced that this was where I should go. The lady that took my printed ticket - ShowFilmFirst do prefer that you print - directed me to the left (Screen 2). Well, I felt as though I'd never stop going down.. flight after flight of stairs. I've never seen the like. The cinema itself was big enough - mostly full by the time I got there, and I'm sure they started late. I chose a seat, then moved to the end of the row to avoid the large head in my way.
The film is based on a memoir by one Vera Brittain, of whom I'd never heard. Turns out she was a pacifist, and this film - based on her best-selling book of the same name - details her experiences during the First World War. By 'eck, she had an interesting time, you'd have to admit! Alicia Vikander plays the lead role. Emily Watson plays her mother, Dominic West her father, Miranda Richardson her tutor. Much of it is filmed in Oxford, which was interesting for me, as I picked out places I recognised, having visited there recently.
It starts in the period leading up to the war. And the first part of the film, I must say, feels very stilted. She looks more haunted than she should be, her beau is implausibly perfect, and it's all quite stiff. I don't blame the person who left at that point.
Stick with it, though - war is on the horizon, and the drama is about to be ramped up. Her hauntedness now looks very appropriate, her beau turns out not to be perfect, and everything comes with much higher stakes. It's very moving, and the twists and turns of her life are very interesting. I do recommend this! Pity its official release isn't until next month - it would've been good to get it out this year, with all the WWI memorials.
I didn't stay for the Q&A. Tomorrow is the long-anticipated Chocolate Festival, in the amiable company of Helen!
There was a number of reasons why I mightn't have gone to see Downhill tonight. Firstly, with such a simple story - four middle-aged men trekking across the UK - I was sure it wouldn't hold its IMDB rating, which I thought unfeasibly high at 8.9. Very few films deserve that rating. Secondly, the arm of my glasses broke over the weekend and I was trying to get an appointment for an eye test so I could get a new pair - and I didn't want to go to the later showing. Thirdly, after a weekend of miserable weather in Ireland, it's terrific to get back to the heat of London, and the afternoon was glorious - too good to spend indoors if you didn't have to.
So, the odds were against Downhill. But, despite my reservations, its rating held. And I couldn't get an eye test appointment until Wednesday. And the evening was very overcast, although humid. So, into town I went - Downhill is only showing at the Empire in Leicester Square.
When I got there, I had serious doubts I'd be able to get in - turned out that a premiere was in progress. Turns out it was the premiere of NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage, a documentary about the touring production of Richard III, starring Kevin Spacey - who, apparently, was due to be in attendance. I keep just missing him! I see the play he's currently starring in - Clarence Darrow - doesn't run on Mondays. I actually had to ask the guy at the door whether it was possible to just go to the pictures!! Yes, just keep right.. Seems that time of day is popular for premieres at this cinema.
I decided I'd like an ice cream, and bought myself a chocolate Haagen Dazs. And while that transaction was taking place, I was well positioned to watch the poseurs in front of the cameras - having run the gamut outside the cinema, they were doing the same at the entrance to the screen. I didn't see anyone I recognised, and got myself away from the silliness. My showing was in Screen 6 - I've been here before, it's the small one at the top of a maze of stairs. Just avoid any door that says "Fire Exit".
The guy had given me a seat in the back row of the screen - i.e. the third. I entered.. and although it was 20 minutes before the scheduled start time, something was playing! I soon realised it was the film I had come to see. "What time did it start?!" I asked myself, taking a seat at the end of my row so as not to disturb the patrons already there. But it soon became apparent that it was near the end - this must still be the late afternoon showing. Now, it's a long time since I walked in at the end of the previous showing - very remiss of the staff to let me, I guess they were otherwise engaged. Certainly, before our screening started, a couple of staff members did come to check our tickets.
Thank God I go by IMDB ratings - otherwise, I'd never have considered this film. And I'd have missed something very, very good indeed. It's a very simple format - a young film student chooses, as his project, to make a documentary film about his dad, and three of his dad's mates, doing the Coast to Coast walk across the UK - left to right, rather than top to bottom (or vice versa). Much more manageable. That's all I knew before going in, but it does become apparent that these guys are too entertaining to be amateurs - their faces are vaguely familiar, although they're not very famous, but they are professional actors.
I'll say this though - Simon Pegg et al, makers of The World's End - THIS is what you were going for and missed utterly. That, too, was a film about a group of old schoolfriends, now middle-aged, trying to recapture their youth, and doing a pub crawl in the meantime. Mind you, that film also had an alien invasion. But what it really lacked was that sense of real camaraderie, which you get in this film, which comes across as so realistic that it comes as a shock to recognise faces, and also to discover, at the end, that there was an actual screenplay!
They're a riot, this four, three of whom are natural comedians, in different ways. There are the usual mishaps, the mid-life crises, the actresses they run into on the way.. and with it all, it's a great ad for the walk itself, which really exists, and takes in some stunning scenery. This film is a low-key stunner, and I feel very lucky to have seen it. Thumbs up!
When I came out, it seemed to have been raining - I must have timed it well. I felt like a Chinese - nothing in the fridge, plus Chinatown was right beside me - and I moseyed around until I came across the Feng Shui Inn. Now, I had a good meal here before, and it's an amazement that it hasn't occurred to me since - so I said I'd try it. They have some slightly unusual choices - although not as unusual as some nearby places - and I decided to try the lamb with honey sauce. It was lovely, served with a large quantity of onion - although I was probably in the mood for something spicier. Still, recommended. And I must commend them on their excellent wine - also, their 175ml glasses are much closer to 250 ml, making them much better value than a bottle or half bottle. Take note..
Tomorrow, so far, is looking like another film - there are other things on the horizon, now that summer is upon us, but they won't have started tomorrow - and, by IMDB ratings, the highest rated film showing tomorrow that I might consider is one I was considering last week - The Irish Pub, of all things: a documentary about what makes it world-famous. It's showing, appropriately enough, in a pub cinema - The Montpelier. Or I might not - if it's sunny. We'll see!
Yay! I finally got to see Enough Said! I saw the trailer a while ago and thought it looked good, and it had a good IMDB rating - but just not good enough that I got to see it before now. And the only reason I got to see it tonight was that art-house films don't usually screen on Fridays - probably not enough people are interested in seeing them after a week's work. So none of the films rated higher than this on my list were showing tonight, and I was free to go to this at last.
And about time too - only one cinema is still showing it in London, the Empire in Leicester Square. And wouldn't you know it, it's in Screen 6 there. Which is where I saw Milius, a while back. Notable for being complicated to find, and absolutely tiny when you get there, with a big screen. Only three rows of seating, and I wouldn't like to be in the front - but it wasn't heavily booked, so I didn't worry. Took the Piccadilly Line to Leicester Square, thus collecting the £9.80 refund that TFL owed me for overcharging me before. Really though, I do find their customer service excellent. And refunds are processed automatically when you touch in at a specified station - in my case Earl's Court, this evening.
I got there just slightly after the advertised time, and bought my ticket from the ATM, shocked to see that sales had picked up and there was now only one seat left in the back two rows - in the back corner. So I chose that and made my way upstairs - easier this time. On the way, I ran into an usher, who was most anxious to ensure that I was happily seated, but explained that she had to go find the manager about something, and to let her know if I had any problems - she seemed to think someone would appropriate my seat. No such problem occurred, although the lady in the seat beside mine had been using mine for her coat, but moved it when I arrived. I must say, the back row is definitely the best in this screen, although I did overhear an elderly woman remark to her companion afterwards that the front row, where they'd been sitting, wasn't bad at all.
Right - this film stars the late James Gandolfini, and is dedicated to him. Most famous for the tv series, The Sopranos, where he plays the head of a crime family, this apparently wasn't his last film - another of his is scheduled for release next year. Of course, he passed away of a heart attack last June, on holiday in Rome, during a heatwave. In this, he plays the unlikely role of romantic male lead in a rom-com, playing opposite someone I was sure starred in Red! but it turns out to be someone else entirely. Well, they do look alike.
So anyway, the plot basically goes that they're middle-aged divorcees, both with daughters about to leave for college, and when they meet at a party, there's an instant attraction. Toni Collette plays her friend, providing the surrogate family that she couldn't possibly be without, because then she'd be all alone, with her daughter moving away. And we can't have that in a Hollywood movie, because she's meant to be a likeable character, and they can't be all alone in the world. Catherine Keener plays James Gandolfini's ex-wife, who, coincidentally, is also his girlfriend's massage client! Cue many amusing incidents where she gives away salacious titbits of info to his new girlfriend, who realises who her client's ex-husband must be, but says nothing, because she wants all the info she can get.
This is a really good film. The script sparkles, and there's great chemistry between the leads. There are plenty of entertaining jokes about encroaching middle-age, and how irritating young people can be, and it's all done good-naturedly. The issues raised ring true, and it makes a nice change from all the romances involving twenty-somethings. There are also some interesting subplots, some involving the teens, some involving Toni Collette's maid. All-in-all, a film of much higher quality than last night's offering.
A film again tomorrow, and I spent a large amount of time deciding which. I rejected one, near the top of my list, by virtue of the fact that it's about a musician I've never heard of and am not interested in learning about. I rejected another two on the grounds of sheer weirdness - even I have my limits. And so, tomorrow seems likely to be Don Jon. Terrific! another I saw the trailer for and thought it looked good, hoping I'd get around to it. Nearest place showing it is the cinema in Westfield - I might head up there early and browse the shops, it's been ages. And with the Overground, I can be there in literally ten minutes!
It took me forever to get the film ratings sorted out so I knew what to go to yesterday. Finally I did, and Gravity topped the list. Whoopee! Sadly, on closer inspection, I discovered that it's not showing anywhere until Thursday, despite coming up on LondonNet as showing in some far-flung cinema today. Well, at least that gives me something decent to go to on Thursday - I'm really looking forward to it. Stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts adrift in space when their space shuttle is destroyed. Apparently, Ed Harris plays the voice of mission control. Anyway, the trailer scared the **** out of me the first time I saw it - very vertigo-inducing. And that was in 2D! which is how I'll be seeking to see it - 3D just gives me a headache.
Joint top of the list was Milius, so that's what I took myself to last night. Only showing in the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square. It was cheaper than I expected for the location - I've only been to this cinema once before and can't remember what it was the last time, but this was cheaper than most of the West End cinemas. There weren't any staff to sell me a ticket, so I got one from the machine and made my way in. The guy who took my ticket had to direct me to the door for Screen 6, which is at the far end of the lobby - confusing, since 4 & 5 are on the other side. Not as confusing as when I went through the doors though - honestly, Alice didn't have as much trouble down the rabbit hole! Basically, avoid the fire exits, keep climbing, and when you get to the sign that says "Empire 6", instead of "Empire 6 This Way", that's the door.
Screen 6 is, apparently, the smallest screen here, and it shows. It only seats 26, in three rows. In fact, when I was choosing my seat, it wouldn't let me take the front row. Indeed, I wouldn't have wanted to - the screen itself is far too big for such a small room, and even the second row, which I had chosen, was a bit too close. I'd recommend the back row in this screen. But I was ok. I don't know about the couple that left just as I arrived though - were they just in the wrong place, or did they find it all too cramped? The seats themselves are marvellously comfortable - plush, with sufficiently high backs that you can rest your head, and they recline automatically. Lovely..
This is a film for film buffs. It's the biography of John Milius, the famous screenwriter. Responsible for, among others, Apocalypse Now (for which he was Oscar-nominated), Dirty Harry, Conan the Barbarian, and Evel Knievel. The appearances onscreen are from a Who's Who of Hollywood royalty - including his BFF, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, who went to school with him, Harrison Ford, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Richard Dreyfuss, Clint Eastwood, George Hamilton, James Earl Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Charlie Sheen, Kathleen Kennedy.. the list goes on and on. So, lots of clips of your favourite movies - I was in heaven. It's extremely well done too.
The last third of the film deals with the stroke he had a few years ago, which rendered him unable to speak. Really sad - Steven Spielberg describes it as the worst thing to happen to any of his friends. But he is recovering, slowly. As they say though, it's the worst fate to befall such a brilliant raconteur.
Coming out is nearly as confusing as going in. Remember, avoid the fire exits and you'll get out eventually. The lobby, full of ample leather sofas, was empty as I arrived but was now buzzing. And I went home with the yen to cook a pie, which I bought enroute, only to find that the oven wasn't working. Well, I'll have another bash at it tonight! and the internet wasn't working either, which might be a bigger problem. I'll have a look at that too. But that's why this blog was delayed until today, and a long-running meeting, followed by lunch, meant it was delayed until now. Never mind.
Tonight is looking like No Fire Zone: the Killing Fields of Sri Lanka - showing in Riverside Studios, which seems on the borderline of too far to walk, so I shall probably get the bus. Films looking likely for the next couple of days as well - but watch this space!
Well, well - I finally made it to see World War Z! About my last chance - the Empire, Leicester Square was the only one showing it at a reasonable hour, and they were only showing it tonight. Of course, I'd've seen it a lot sooner if its IMDB ratings hadn't kept slipping.. I don't recall what it started at - around 7.6, I think - but it finished at 7.2. Probably deserves something in between.
It was in screen 9, which must be one of the smallest. You could see that online, so I made sure to keep an eye on how the bookings were going, and booked just before heading into town, when I saw seats were filling up. After another sweltering journey - at least I got a seat - I made it to the Empire, which was my first time there. They're vying with the Prince Charles cinema around the corner for title of "best value in the West End". I think the Prince Charles has that one sewn up.. but the Empire is a nice cinema, with nice shiny banisters, and generally feels posher than the Prince Charles. In the lobby, at least. Sadly, Screen 9 turns out to be at the top of the house, and I was breathless by the time I got there.. (no escalators). Anyway, seat was comfortable and reclined slightly when I sat down, which is nice. Not so nice was the fact that the screen was low enough that, when captions or subtitling were displayed along the bottom, I had to crane to read them over the heads in front of me. Just as well it wasn't a foreign-language film..
Straight away, it struck me that this isn't your typical zombie film. For one thing, all the main characters are quite calm. Makes a nice change. For another, we don't see zombies that often in the film. Most of the film has Brad Pitt going around looking worried. As well he might, for it seems that disaster follows poor Brad wherever he sets foot. He's stuck in a traffic jam - zombies attack. He goes shopping - looters attack. He goes into an apartment building - zombies. He goes to a military base - zombies get the captain. He goes to a previously unattacked city - zombies get in. He's on a plane - it crashes. His family are evacuated to a refugee camp at one point, and he's worried about their safety. Frankly, I'd figure they were fine as long as he was elsewhere.
But I don't mean to imply that it isn't a good film - it's a very good film. I'm glad I got the chance to see it. It's a thrill-a-minute, never lags. The lack of constant exposure to the zombies makes them all the scarier. And you might recognise the Irish doctor in the clinic from the Irish tv series Love/Hate. I never took to it myself - only ever watched one episode.
Well, as I say, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, and heading to the Summer Music on the Shannon festival. Assuming it's not washed out - I believe the rain has been biblical. Well, that'll make a change. And I'm extremely well organised for next week. Planning to see The Conjuring on Monday, although I haven't booked it yet because it doesn't seem to be selling out - well, it is showing widely - and, would you believe, it isn't showing in the Odeon! The nearest place it's showing doesn't have a discount for booking, so I'll leave it open for now. The next three days are booked though - and all for the Odeon Kensington, which makes me think I'll probably have trouble with the ticket machine - it doesn't like multiple bookings. Tuesday is Red 2, Wednesday is Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and Thursday is The Heat. Gee, how long is it since I went to so many popular things in a row..?
